Crime vocabulary storytelling game

Crime vocabulary storytelling game Updated 16 January 2018

Teacher’s instructions

Cut up the cards below and give them out to groups of between two and four students. Students spread the cards out face up on the table and take turns choosing one of the cards to add to their story. The cards must be placed in the order they use them, but they can use the Past Perfect to add them to earlier in the story if they like. The aim is to use as many cards as they can while making a real story with a proper beginning, middle and end.

accomplice

alibi

(burglar/ car/ personal/ rape) alarm

arms/ armed/ (deadly/ illegal) weapon

(false/ under) arrest

(out on/ detention without) bail

break (into/ out of)

(CCTV/ security) camera

catch (red handed/ on film)

(police/ prison) cell

(car) chase

confess/ confession

convict/ (previous) conviction

(high/ supreme) court (case)

defence

destroy

(private/ plain clothes) detective

(DNA) evidence/ clue

fake/ forgery

getaway/ run away/ escape

(not) guilty – innocent

(shot/ hand/ replica) gun

handcuffs

hide (out)/ bury

inform/ informer

judge

jury

lawyer/ attorney/ barrister

lie

loot

mask/ disguise

motive

plan

plea/ plead

police officer

(foot/ finger)print

(open/ top security) prison (= jail/ gaol)

prosecute/ prosecutor/ prosecution

(capital/ corporal) punishment

release

(prison/ suspended/ 5-year/ death) sentence

(blood) stains

suspect

(death) threat

tip (off)

(mis-)trial

will/ last will and testament

(eye) witness

Vocabulary brainstorming

Without looking at the words from the previous game again yet, put any suitable vocabulary you can think of into these categories:

Evidence/ Clues

Things criminals use

Things policemen use

Things criminals do

Things policemen do

Other people related to crime

Places related to crime

Punishments

Look at the cards from the previous game again to help you. Then check your answers against the answer key on the next page. Did you think of anything that is not on that list?Crime vocabulary word formation

abuse

arson

banish

blood

bribe

burglar

compensate

crime

decapitate

detect

discriminate

enforce

evade

evidence

exploit

forge

fraud

guilt

harass

incarcerate

inform

infringe

innocent

investigate

legal

mug

pirate

plea

prison

prosecute

prostitute

restore

rob

shoplift

slander

slave

smuggle

squat

stalk

terror

threat

trespass

trial

vagrant

vandal

Suggested answers

abuse – abuser/ abusive

arson – arsonist

banish – banishment

blood – bloody

bribe – bribery

burglar – burglary/ burglarise

compensate – compensation/ compensatory

crime – criminal/ criminalise/ decriminalise

decapitate – decapitation

detect – detector/ detective

discriminate – discriminatory/ discrimination

enforce – enforcement

evade – evasive/ evasion

evidence – evident

exploit – exploitation/ exploitative

forge – forgery/ forger

fraud – fraudster/ defraud/ fraudulent

guilt – guilty/ guiltiness

harass – harassment/ harasser

incarcerate – incarceration

inform – informer/ informant

infringe – infringement

innocent – innocence

investigate – investigator/ investigation

legal – legality/ illegal/ illegality/ legalise

mug – mugging/ mugger

pirate – piracy

plea – plead

possess – possession/ possessor

prison – imprison/ prisoner

prosecute – prosecution/ prosecutor

prostitute – prostitution

restore – restorative/ restoration

rob – robber/ robbery

shoplift – shoplifting/ shoplifter

slander – slanderer

slave – slavery/ enslave/ enslave

smuggle – smuggling/ smuggler

squat – squatting/ squatter

stalk – stalking/ stalker

terror – terrorist/ terrorism/ terrorise

threat – threaten/ threatening

trespass – trespassing/ trespasser

trial – mistrial/ pre-trial

vagrant – vagrancy

vandal – vandalise/ vandalism

Crime collocations

Without looking above, put at least two words before or after the words below to make crime collocations.